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Transuniversal Communications

The nGendr Manifesto

This is a project with a very simple aim – to provide a way of amplifying the voices of trans and non-binary people. Somewhere for us to talk about what we love to talk about. Somewhere we can be passionate about what makes us angry, what gives us joy, what makes us laugh. It’s a place for us to share that with each other & beyond.

Since coming out and getting to know other trans & NB people, it has really struck me just how much talent and unashamed enthusiasm there is out there for things that have absolutely nothing to do with gender, transitioning or anything in that sphere. Of course, this is obvious – that’s the human condition, right? Well, sometimes it feels like we’re only valued for that narrow set of experiences, for our assumed ‘fascinating insight’ into the world. In fact, often it’s not even as deep as that – it’s just inspiration porn or a fetish. If we’re lucky, we have a ‘unique perspective into sexism’ or an excuse to push someone’s liberal credentials.

Even where trans and non-binary people are celebrated, it’s usually because we unexpectedly meet societal ideals around beauty, or because we’re lucky enough to have been in a notable position before coming out and therefore already have a platform. I’m sure we’ve all seen more than enough conventionally beautiful trans women or trans men, their safe & supportive public sector employers immediately rewarding them with a lucrative position in some sort of diversity champion role & all the time off in the world for a myriad of surgeries they can afford. These people are great to have, and can be a really positive role model for young trans and non-binary people to see, but they usually represent such a narrow section of society. It’s not only unrepresentative of our varied identities, usually failing to represent non-binary people, people of colour and people with disabilities, it’s also totally unachievable for most of us and therefore, in all honesty, quite depressing.

If you are a trans or non-binary person, this is for you. We want to share your passions, and be a platform for you. It could be writing, it could be vlogging, it could be art. It could be about gender, if you want – I’m sure there will be plenty of that, but it doesn’t have to be at all. It could be about music you’ve loved, or something you’re working on that you’re really exciting about. It could be a story you’ve written, or some life advice. It could just be you nerding out about a new device you’ve bought and are really excited about. We love nerd stuff, seriously. There is nothing finer than seeing someone get excited about something that they’re really passionate about – particularly if they’ve always felt like nobody cared about it before. That’s what this is about – it’d be great if we can all feel that. It’s not about being famous, indeed we think that particular pursuit hasn’t exactly served us well as a community up to now. Of course, if this helped anyone pursue a dream, that’d be wonderful! But it’s not a stated aim, and certainly we will not be standing for people stepping on others or throwing them under the bus to get there. There is plenty of space elsewhere for that, if that’s your game.

So, if you think this is interesting, please get in touch. This is all very new, and none of us are professionals at this. We also aren’t representative of all the identities I’ve talked about at the moment. We know this is a gap, and since we’re essentially a loose collective we think this should be easy to fill. You can get in touch via this website, Twitter or Facebook. We have a small team of people to kick things off and try to keep it running, but we need more voices – more diverse voices – both in terms of content and in terms of governance, so there’s sure to be something you can help with if you wish.

If you’re thinking “Oh I’ve nothing to add” – stop! Even if you only contribute one thing a year, or even one thing ever, we’d still be interested in hearing from you. Even if you just help us amplify the voices of others, or help us with running things, it’s still valuable. You can get as involved as you want. Remember, this is BY trans & non-binary people, for trans & non-binary people, and if anyone else learns something along the way then that’s just great.

About The Author

Natalie is a transgender woman from the Southeast UK. She's a founding member of nGendr and regularly contributes articles and vlogs, particularly on the subject of trans people in sport (as a keen footballer and runner).